Pain, suffering, uncertainty and medical treatments can be hard on your entire family. That’s why Bronson offers palliative care for hospitalized patients.
This service brings several approaches in healthcare to treat the whole person and help the person's family. When some people think of palliative care, they think of end of life care. But palliative care is also for those who are suffering and still have plenty of life ahead of them.
What is palliative care?
Palliative care is medical care. It focuses on relieving pain, symptoms and stress of patients and families facing complex or life-threatening conditions. You can receive palliative care along with treatment for their health condition. It helps you stay comfortable at any stage of illness.
- Palliative care includes:
- Medical evaluation
- Pain and symptom management
- Treatment recommendations
- Help making complex medical decisions
- Help with difficult decisions about the goals of life
- Access to staff who can answer your and your family's questions about your health
- Coordinating home health services
- Support to help ease physical, mental and spiritual suffering
The adult palliative care team can help improve communication and decision-making. They also respect the goals, wishes and choices of your family.
Who can benefit from palliative care?
People with:
- a serious, complex or life-threatening medical condition
- a health condition that is expected to get worse
- pain or other symptoms that affect quality of life
- difficult choices to make about their care
- frequent readmissions to the hospital
- spiritual or psychological needs
Adult Palliative Care Team
The palliative care team has physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, medical social workers and pastoral care staff. Team members work with your doctor to assess pain and symptoms. They also bring in other healthcare professionals if needed, including pain management specialists, dietitians, pharmacists, physical therapists, mental health professionals, case managers and others. Each brings a different type of expertise.
To Request a Consultation
If you think you or your loved one could benefit from palliative care, call (269) 341-7339 to request a consultation. Or you can talk to your doctor or nurse about palliative care.
Contact Us
Bronson Adult Palliative Care Service
Bronson Methodist Hospital
601 John Street
Kalamazoo, MI 49007
(269) 341-7339
